Can't Deny It
by 18lzytwner
Summary: The feelings are there and she can't deny it anymore. But will Stephanie be able to tell him before something bad happens? 4th LT story in new series Sport,Steph
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: I know it's been awhile ssince my last story but here goes the new one. Enjoy:)_

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Can't Deny It

By 18lzytwner

**Chapter 1**

"Happy Birthday dear Stephanie, Happy Birthday to you!" A group of friends sang to the girl sitting in front of a large square cake. Sixteen pink and white candles were sprinkled over the bakery delight, their wax slowly dripping down onto the white frosting.

"Blow out the candles!" Trixie said. Her pink-haired friends smiled and slowly blew out all the candles.

"Yeah!" Her friends and family shouted.

"All right, it's time to cut the cake." Uncle Milford said as he handed the knife over to Stephanie. She carefully placed the knife on top of the white cake with pink edging and pressed down. The knife didn't want to go down and her friend Sportacus came over to help. He stood over the top of her, placed his hands on hers and helped her press the knife into the three-layer cake.

"This is why they say to remove an ice cream cake out of the freezer half an hour before you want to eat it." He chuckled. When the above average hero let go of Stephanie's hands he could see that she had turned almost the same color as the pink icing. He cleared his throat and stepped back.

"Ice Cream!" Ziggy shouted bouncing up and down.

"I think he's already had too much sugar today." Pixel laughed.

"You'd think at fourteen he could control himself." Trixie smirked.

"All right, who wants the first piece?" Stephanie asked, winking at her youngest friend.

"It's MIIIINE!" Stingy shouted.

"Some things never change do they?" Milford muttered. Bessie patted him on the arm and gave him a smile. Stephanie handed out the cake and her friends began to eat. The now sixteen year old got up from her seat and went over to the counter. She pulled out a basket that was filled with apples.

"Here Sportacus, since you can't have the ice cream." Stephanie smiled.

"Thank you." He smiled back and took one.

"Time for presents." Milford smiled and he pulled out a medium sized box that was wrapped in pink shiny paper.

"Open it." Ziggy encouraged. Stephanie smiled and pulled the wrapping paper off. Inside the box was a new soccer ball. It was entirely oink with red swirls on it.

"Bessie and I knew you had varsity soccer tryouts coming up this summer so I thought I'd give you a ball no one else would have." The Mayor smiled.

"I love it." Stephanie said.

"My present next." Ziggy pushed his box at her. She smiled and pulled off the wrapping paper that was covered in balloons.

"Oh it's a soccer ball shaped piece of taffy. Thanks Ziggy." Stephanie said. Next Trixie handed her another present.

"I hope you like it." The long thin box was wrapped in a pink metallic-like paper. Upon opening the box, Stephanie pulled out the long rolled up piece of paper.

"It's the poster of Orlando Bloom and Johnny Depp in their pirate costumes." The sixteen year old beamed.

"I saw you ogling that at the store a few months ago and I knew you had to have it. There's also something really special in the corner." Trixie said as her friend unrolled it.

"It's autographed!" Stephanie exclaimed.

"I sent it to them, explaining what a huge fan you were and they had no problem autographing it." Trixie said. At this the girls hugged.

"Thank you so much." Stephanie told her friend.

"Oh boy I don't think my present will compare with that." Pixel said, handing over his box. The pink haired girl smiled and opened it.

"The Game-Station-Tower with the latest version of FIFA soccer. Oh Pixel, it's a great present." She smiled and traced her fingers over the outside of the box.

"I do believe it's Stingy's turn." Bessie pointed out.

"It's MIIINE. She can't have it." The tightfisted teenager said.

"Cough it up." Trixie said, rolling back her sleeves. Stingy feared for his safety and he reluctantly turned over the gift. Stephanie opened it and smiled slightly.

"Thanks for the toothbrush."

"It's one of my favorites." He said. At this, Stephanie held back the urge to say 'ewww'.

"My turn." Sportacus cut in, quickly changing the subject. Stephanie smiled and took the small box. She unwrapped the last present and looked at it, slightly confused.

"'Your present is outside.'" She said as she read the message aloud.

"Come on." Sportacus said. Everyone got up from the table and went outside. There in front of the big oak tree was a new shiny pink mountain bike.

"Is that for me?" She asked.

"I didn't think anyone else was having a birthday today." The above average hero smiled. Stephanie immediately wrapped her arms around him and gave him a big hug. Sportacus could feel his shirt getting wet and he looked down at her.

"Are you ok?" He asked.

"Sorry, I…" at that moment she let go of him and ran off. Quickly the above average raced after her.

"Stephanie!" No one noticed the periscope sticking up out of the ground.

"Hmmm a birthday party for the pink haired trouble maker. How come I wasn't invited?" Robbie Rotten asked himself.

To Be Continued…


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Sportacus found Stephanie hiding in the tree house the kids had built and maintained eight years ago. It was her favorite spot to go when she needed some alone time.

"Stephanie, come down from there, please. I want to know that you're all right." The above average hero wasn't about to try to fit inside the small abode as the kids could barely fit in it.

"Stephanie." He called to her again. Finally he heard the bottom door opening and he looked up.

"Please come down." The above average hero's piercing Icelandic blue eyes made the birthday girl go weak at the knees. This unfortunately caused her to fall from the hole in the floor. Quickly Sportacus removed the ladder, so she wouldn't hit her head, and caught the tumbling girl.

"Are you ok?" The familiar question passed his lips one more time as he set her down. Stephanie shook her head.

"I promised myself I wasn't going to cry. But when I saw the bicycle, I couldn't stop the tears from coming. The last birthday gift I got from my parents was a bicycle." She told him. Instantly, Sportacus looked sad and pulled her to him. Suddenly, it didn't matter what had happened earlier, it just felt good to have him holding her. There were strange feelings she'd been having and somehow she knew that what she felt at the moment shouldn't ever disappear.

"Why don't we go back to your party? I bet your friends would like to see you smile and I bet that would help you feel better." The above average hero suggested as he let go of her.

"Ok." Stephanie half-smiled and the two started to walk back to the Mayor's house.

"How about later, I come over and we can talk some more?" Sportacus offered.

"I would like that a lot. Thanks." She smiled and the good friends continued on their way. Later would be the perfect time to confront her feelings.

Robbie turned from his periscope and began digging through his box of gadgets. There had to be something in there that he could use. Even though he wasn't invited to the birthday party, it didn't mean he couldn't give a gift.

"Where is that stupid machine?" He asked no one in particular.

"Aha. There it is." The villain grabbed what he had been looking for.

"The Mind Eraser 6000. Will wipe someone's memory in 5 seconds flat." Robbie was proud of himself as he placed the pen-like object down on his workbench.

"I wrap up this box with a little note inside it. Then I dress up like a deliveryman and have the pink-haired menace sign for it. The pen will send an impulse through her body causing her to pass out. When she wakes up she'll be at home, with me." Robbie said his plan aloud.

"When Sportakook comes to save his friend, she'll have no recollection of him and that will crush him. He'll leave LazyTown and then I can dump Pinky. It's perfect. With Sportaflake out of the way LazyTown will become lazy again and I will finally be able to take my nap!" Robbie's voice reverberated off the walls of his underground lair.

Topside, the Mayor and Bessie cleaned up the party mess. Stephanie and Trixie went into the birthday girl's room and tried to decide where to hang the poster while Pixel, Stingy, and Ziggy broke in the Game-Station-Tower. Sportacus shook his head, as he still didn't get why they would want to play soccer on the television instead of going outside to play.

"All right, it's my turn." Stephanie smiled as she and Trixie emerged into the living room.

"Stingy, move it." Pixel said.

"Hey why do I have to move?" The parsimonious teenager whined.

"Move it." Trixie told him, making a fist. Ziggy smirked and started to laugh.

"You too Chuckles." Trixie threatened. Sportacus watched in amusement as the friends fought over the two controllers.

To Be Continued…


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

It was now seven o'clock and all the kids had gone home a little over an hour ago, to eat dinner with their families. Sportacus was out on his second last run of LazyTown of the night, and Stephanie stood in the kitchen washing the dishes while Milford and Bessie went over some important paperwork in the living room.

Stephanie mumbled to herself as she filled the sink with water. Even after all these years she still hadn't been able to convince her uncle to get a dishwasher. It would make life much easier, as all she would have to do is load and unload it, no scrubbing involved. What made it worse was that it was her birthday and here she was doing the dishes. Her parents used to let her do whatever she wanted and not do any chores. The fact of the matter remained however that he wasn't her mother or father and he had important paperwork to do. She couldn't hold being the Mayor of LazyTown against him.

With all this thinking going on, Stephanie wasn't getting the dishes done. In fact the sink was almost over flowing with warm soapy water. The doorbell rang and that snapped her from her reverie. Quickly, she shut the water off and answered it.

"I have a package here for a birthday girl." The deliveryman said.

"A birthday present for me? I wonder who could have sent it." Stephanie excitedly took the brown box from the deliveryman.

"I need you to sign on this line." He told her.

"Oh of course. No problem." She took the pen and the instant the tip touched the paper, she felt this shockwave go through her entire body. The sixteen year old tried to open her mouth and say something but no words came out. The last thing she remembered was the deliveryman standing over her.

Sportacus' crystal went off and he immediately ran toward the Mayor's house. Someone was in trouble and he hoped that it wasn't anything serious. When he arrived at the house, he found the Mayor and Bessie standing in the front doorway. They were looking at a brown package.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"The doorbell rang and I heard Stephanie open it. She was talking to someone and then we heard a commotion. We ran out here and all we found was this package on the floor." Mayor Meanswell explained.

"Have you opened the box?" Sportacus wondered.

"No, we were about to but then you showed up." Bessie said. Quickly, Sportacus picked up the box and ripped the brown wrapping off. Then he tore open the box to find that it was full of packing peanuts.

"This was a decoy. Whoever delivered this had no intention of allowing Stephanie to open it. Call the police and have them take this box into evidence. They'll dust it for prints, although I'm not sure there will be any." The above average hero told them.

"What are you going to do?" Mayor Meanswell asked.

"I'm going out there to look for Stephanie. Whoever it was couldn't have gotten far." Sportacus called over his shoulder as he ran off. Milford and Bessie quickly went to the phone and called the police. The above average hero ran around trying to find the culprit for kidnapping the sixteen year old. All he knew was that when he got his hands on them, they would definitely be sorry. His long dormant emotions seemed to have crawled up from the deep dark place he'd put them all those years ago, and they now lay just under the surface. Sportacus picked up speed hoping that he would catch the person responsible soon before something bad happened to Stephanie.

To Be Continued…


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Slowly, Stephanie opened her eyes and she was met by a look of concern. The man who held that look and slowly smiled.

"I'm so glad you're ok, Carolyn."

"Carolyn? Who's Carolyn?" These words made Robbie nervous as he hoped the pen had worked as well as advertised.

"Why you are. Don't you remember tripping and falling?" Robbie wondered.

"No." The girl answered. Inwardly Robbie smiled and he helped her sit up. Once that was done he sat down next to her.

"You must have conked your head pretty good. You were running around with your shoes untied and I told you to be careful and you tripped. Next thing I knew you were lying on the floor unconscious." The lie seemed to work as the girl nodded.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"I'm your cousin Robbie. You came to live with me after your parents died." He told her. The last line about her parents dying clicked in her head and suddenly tears came that she could not stop. At first Robbie, didn't know what to do. It was bad enough that he would have to put up with this pink haired annoyance until Sportacus left but now she was crying. Slowly he put his arm around her shoulders and did his best to try to get her to stop.

Sportacus continued to run around looking for Stephanie. There was no way the kidnapper had gotten away from him. He had arrived at the Mayor's within seconds of his crystal going off, no way had the person slipped through his fingers. Then an idea came to him and he raced off in the direction of Robbie's lair. The above average hero knew that the town villain had to be behind this.

Suddenly an alarm sounded in Robbie's lair and it frightened Stephanie. She looked to the man she believed was her cousin for an explanation. Quickly, Robbie stood and checked the periscope. He saw a flash of blue and knew that Sportakook was on his trail.

"Come on!" He shouted to her and she did as she was told. The two went down the hall; Robbie flung open a door and then pointed to a circular hole in the wall.

"Climb in. I'll keep him away. Don't worry you'll be safe." She seemed to believe him as she climbed into the space he pointed out. Then he shut a door and turned the dial. Poking a number of keys on the door it seemingly meshed into the wall and the villain smiled. Sportacus would never find it. There was only one way to reveal the buttons and dial and he himself was the only one that knew how to do it. Quickly, Robbie then ran back out to the main area to make sure there was no sign of Stephanie lying around. The only problem was that there was a stack of used tissues on the floor. An idea struck him and he grabbed a blanket.

Less than a minute later, noises could be heard from the tube and the blue sports elf came flying out the end of the pipe to find Robbie covered with a blanket and used tissues on the floor.

"Whud do you want?" The villain asked, pretending he was sick.

"Where is she?" Sportacus demanded.

"Where is who?" Robbie played coy.

"Stephanie! I know you have her." The above average hero almost lost his temper.

"Oh Pinky. Why yes I do have Pinky." Robbie's demeanor suddenly changed and he stood up straight. This put him six inches above the hero and he enjoyed every minute of it.

"I'll let you see her on one condition." Sportacus knew that if he wanted Stephanie to be safe he'd have to do as Robbie said.

"I want her back, I don't want to see her." The above average hero said. Robbie pulled out a remote and showed it to the sports elf.

"The only way you get her back is if she chooses you. But if she chooses me, you have to leave LazyTown forever." This last statement confused Sportacus. Why wouldn't she choose to go with him? Why wouldn't she be fighting to get free from wherever she was?

"This is a limited time offer. I press this button and Stephanie gets a bath, one she probably wouldn't recover from." Robbie smirked. He held all the cards and Sportacus knew it.

"All right. I agree to your terms." It was the only thing he could do to save the sixteen year old. Robbie pushed a different button than the one he'd mentioned earlier and called out an unfamiliar name.

"Carolyn! It's ok, you can come out now." Sportacus looked at the villain and knew what he had done. There was no way he could have won. Robbie had planned everything out.

"Carolyn, I want you to choose between me and this man, who claims to be your friend." Stephanie looked confused.

"Go on. He says he can take better care of you than I can." Robbie prodded her to make a choice. Stephanie looked at the man in front of her. The funny looking hat, piercing Icelandic baby blues, the funny moustache, the number ten on his chest, and the muscular shape that took form underneath his shirt and vest. It all looked familiar but she couldn't place it. He looked like a good man but there was no way to tell. With one move, Stephanie grabbed Robbie's hand and said,

"I choose Robbie."

To Be Continued…

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_All right, that's enough for this weekend. ;)_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Sportacus didn't hide his mixed feelings of anger, disgust, and sadness. It all came out very strangely. One second Robbie was standing up and then next he was lying on the floor. Stephanie stood there and watched as the familiar man punched her "cousin". She had this strange feeling that something was wrong but she couldn't understand what was happening. The above average hero turned to her and said,

"Your name is Stephanie. Robbie is **_not_** your cousin. You have to come with me. Your uncle is very worried about you."

"I'm so confused. How can I believe you after what you have just done?" She asked.

"You're going to have to trust me." Sportacus told her. His eyes pleaded with her to come with him.

"Carolyn, don't listen to him. He's trying to take you away from me. He doesn't believe that we could be a family." Robbie warned her as he stood up. Sportacus knew with another act of aggression that Stephanie would refuse. Somehow she would have to figure it out for herself but he couldn't stand leaving her with Robbie.

"Trust me please." The above average hero implored. The look in the sixteen year old's eyes was so unsure. Robbie grabbed Sportacus' vest and glared at him.

"The deal was you leave LazyTown forever after she chose me. Now get out of my house and out of my life." Robbie said. To his surprise, this seemed to work. The above average hero brushed the hands that held his vest off of him and said the only thing he could think of.

"There is no way to extinguish what Stephanie and I have started. LazyTown will **_never_** be lazy again and you know it. I'll be back and then you'll wish that you had somebody to protect you." The threat was not idle and both men knew it. Sportacus turned and left but not before giving Stephanie one last look. Their eyes connected and immediately the girl felt her knees go weak. Something inside of her screamed that she should go with him but her head told her to stay put. The decision of who was telling the truth would come to her later. In her head was a jumbled mess and only time would let her sort it out.

Topside, Sportacus immediately climbed the ladder that came down from his airship. Once inside the dirigible, he flew out of LazyTown air space. His mind was working a mile a minute. He knew that once he was gone, Robbie would get rid of Stephanie. It was obvious that all the years of his petty schemes failing had forced him to do something drastic. If Robbie harmed her in any way, there would be no going back. Sportacus knew in his heart that he would do whatever it took to protect the sixteen year old. The two had connected on a whole different level after her parents died. They shared similar pasts and they had bonded. There had to be a way to save her and he had to come up with an idea fast.

Moving from the command seat, he pressed a button on the floor of his airship and his closet opened up. There were four of his clean hero uniforms hanging up but he knew that he couldn't use them. If he wanted to sneak back into LazyTown, he would have to dress like everyone else. Pulling the uniforms aside he found what he was looking for, a pair of blue jeans and a t-shirt. Next he dug around for a pair of running sneakers. Finding them, he quickly stripped out of his uniform. Putting on the street clothes, he noticed that they didn't really hide his muscular body. It was obvious how in shape he was but perhaps the clothes would provide enough cover. He pushed another button on the floor and the closet disappeared. Next he poked two buttons at the same time and the ice–cube maker slid out of the way to reveal a bathroom. Quickly, he ducked inside and stood in front of the mirror. His hat hair needed to be combed and that's when it hit him. The facial hair that graced his upper lip would be a dead giveaway. Now the next decision he had to make was to trim it or remove it.

To Be Continued…


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Sportacus walked down the street toward the Mayor's house. He had to alert the worried man that his niece was all right for the moment and that he had a plan to get Stephanie back. With his fast long strides, he reached the house without any difficulty.

A knock on the door brought Milford out of his stupor. He ran to it expecting that it was Stephanie come back to say that she was sorry she had left so suddenly. However he was disappointed to find a man he didn't recognize.

"Can I help you?" Milford wondered.

"I'm here to help you Mayor." Sportacus said a little excited to see his plan worked.

"Sportacus?" The distraught Uncle asked.

"That's me. Now I have to tell you about Stephanie." The above average hero carefully moved past the Mayor and the two moved inside.

"Is she all right? Why are you dressed like that? What happened to your moustache?" Mayor Meanswell broke out into a series of questions.

"Stephanie's fine for the moment. I'm dressed like this to avoid being seen by Robbie and my moustache was trimmed to help the disguise work." The above average hero explained.

"Why are you hiding from Robbie?" Milford asked.

"Robbie has Stephanie. Somehow she's lost her memory and he's convinced her that he is her cousin and that I was trying to separate their make shift family. Robbie called her Carolyn and before I could see her made me swear that I'd leave LazyTown if she chose Robbie over me. Stephanie didn't know any better and trusted Robbie. I'm supposed to leave LazyTown. I moved my airship out of the town's airspace and disguised myself to not tip off our disgruntled villain." Sportacus explained very quickly. Milford tried to absorb it all as he continued.

"Anyway, the promise I was forced to make was not binding. When she wasn't in the room, Robbie referred to her as Pinky and made me swear that if Pinky chose him over me, that I'd have to leave. Well it's well known that Pinky is Stephanie's nickname not Carolyn. All I have to do is rescue Stephanie. However, I'm sure that Robbie knows I won't stay away, promise or no promise."

"Do you think he'll do something to her?" Milford's voice wavered. In truth, Sportacus wasn't sure what the villain would do but he sure as heck didn't want to wait and find out.

"The only we can do is focus on saving her." This answer seemed to calm the Mayor down a little but not that much. The above average hero now focused his attention on better thoughts but he realized that the sun was setting. Robbie would act under the cover of darkness.

"Did the police find anything?" He asked.

"No, you were right. The deliveryman wore gloves." Milford said.

"Well we know that the deliveryman was Robbie and we know what he wants. He wants me gone and with Stephanie's memory on the fritz, he'll get what he wants until I can get her back. Even then I'm not sure how we'll get her memory back." Sportacus rambled a little bit.

"What's your plan?" The Mayor wondered.

"I'm going in and taking Stephanie from him. If not as an above average hero then as a friend." Came the reply. Not going in as a hero allowed him to break certain rules of his hero oath. He didn't like it but there wasn't much of an option. When it came to the safety of those he was sworn to protect, then sometimes the rules would have to be broken. As long as the Network never found out, he'd be all right.

"All right Mayor. I hope to surprise Robbie and grab Stephanie. If you don't hear from me in thirty minutes, call the police and tell them what's going on." Sportacus told him. The Mayor nodded and watched the above average hero run out the door.

"Godspeed Sportacus." Milford said silently.

To Be Continued…


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Robbie paced to and fro in his lair in front of the periscope. He had sent Stephanie to bed, as he hadn't thought his plan would actually go as smoothly as it did. Sure Sportakook lost his cool but he hadn't gotten all that violent. The question now became what to do with Pinky.

He supposed that he could carry through on his threat to Sporty and drown her in the tube but then he'd still have to dump the body somewhere. That would be more work and more on his conscience than he wanted. Besides the news would spread quickly and then Sportaflake would came back and probably do a lot worse than punch him.

Down the hall, Stephanie lay awake in bed. She stared up at the strange ceiling of multiple pipes that crossed over and under each other. The encounter with the man all dressed in blue filled her mind. Everything about him seemed so familiar but so far from her grasp. The feelings that stirred within her when she saw him made her realize that he was more than just a bad man, as Robbie had told her. Something about the whole situation didn't sit right, especially her cousin's words: _The deal was you leave LazyTown forever after she chose me. Now get out of **my** house and out of **my** life._ Odd behavior for a man who claimed to be her only living relative; what exactly had he meant by 'the deal' and 'choosing him'? That's when she became aware of a ruckus down the hall. Quickly, she got up and pulled her dress back on. There was another odd thing. Supposedly the room she stood in was her own and yet she had no other clothes except for what she wore at the moment. Shaking her head, she exited the room.

Robbie stood there grappling with a man, she of course didn't recognize. He wore a blue t-shirt and jeans and a pair of running shoes.

"You didn't think I wouldn't come back did you?" These words had a familiar accent to them and she quickly surmised what was going on.

"We had an agreement!" Robbie threw a sissy punch at Sportacus.

"One that you broke yourself when you called her Carolyn! It was Carolyn making the decision not Stephanie!" The above average hero easily took the punch and then wailed on the villain in the gut.

"Ow!" Robbie whined and fell backwards. Sportacus was about to follow up when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He spun around on a dime and found Stephanie's chocolate brown eyes staring at him. Without thinking, the above average hero wrapped his arms around her and held on tight.

"We have to get you out of here. Come on." Sportacus went to scoop her off the ground but he didn't get the chance.

"Look out!" Stephanie cried but before the above average hero could react, he found a lead pipe hitting his kidneys. He crumpled to the ground in pain and Robbie lifted the pipe again and brought it down. However it didn't hit Sportacus. Stephanie had jumped in front of the blow and the pipe hit her in the arm. Pain seared through her right forearm and she cried out as the sound of bones being broken reached her ears. In a flash, Sportacus was on his feet again, ignoring the immense pain in his lower back. Robbie's eyes were wide, as he hadn't meant to hit the sixteen year old and he watched the above average hero grab the pipe from him.

"This ends now." He said.

"If you hit me it goes against everything you've ever stood for. You don't have the guts to make your conscience bother you for the rest of your life." Robbie had suddenly become defiant. In the back of his mind, Sportacus knew that Robbie was right but the rest of his mind was focused on how much Stephanie needed him. His next decision would be the thing that separated him from Robbie. What was he willing to do?

To Be Continued…


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Sportacus raised the lead pipe further above his head. He could see the look of fear in Robbie's eyes. Fear that he wanted instilled for a long time to come. In one swift move, the above average hero brought the pipe down, stopping it just a few inches above the villain's head.

"If you ever come after Stephanie again…" no more words needed to be spoken as he moved his arm away from Robbie and dropped the pipe. Swiftly, the above average hero turned around and helped Stephanie latch onto his back. With her legs wrapped around his waist and her left arm holding onto his shoulders, Sportacus began to climb the ladder up to the top of the tube. Robbie watched as they left and slowly got up. He would need a new pair of shorts before moving on with his day.

"Ow." Stephanie said. She was trying hard not to cry but the pain was immense and tears dropped down onto Sportacus.

"I'm going to get you to the hospital. Everything will be all right." He wished that he could do more for her but all he could do was try to get her to the hospital in FunTown as soon as possible.

In no time at all, they had reached their destination of the tube's exit and now all that was left was the fifteen-mile journey to FunTown.

"Hang on." He told Stephanie. Despite the pain in his lower back, Sportacus ran as fast as he could. Soon they were out of LazyTown and on their way to FunTown.

A normal runner would have taken almost four hours to cover that distance but the above average hero managed to make it to the FunTown Hospital in twenty-five minutes. He burst through the emergency room doors and called out to anyone who would listen.

"I need help!" Quickly two nurses rushed over and tried to assess the situation.

"What happened?" One asked.

"Stephanie's right arm is broken. She's in a lot of pain, please help her." Sportacus tried to get them to understand.

"All right. Set her down and we'll get her to x-ray." The second nurse said. The above average hero refused to let the sixteen year old go.

"I have to go with her." He told them.

"What's going on out here?" Dr. Rottenstein approached the group. Upon reaching them, he immediately recognized Sportacus and Stephanie. The above average hero explained the predicament again and the doctor took action.

"I'll take things from here, Betty and Susan. Make sure Casting Room 2 is set up and call ahead to X-Ray and tell them I'm coming."

Back in LazyTown, Milford paced the kitchen floor waiting for the phone to ring. It had been longer than thirty minutes and he was beginning to worry that something had happened to Sportacus and Stephanie. Quickly, he picked up the phone and dialed the direct number for Police Chief Dooright.

"Chief Dooright." The voice said over the phone.

"This is Mayor Meanswell." Milford told him. Immediately the Police Chief sat up straight as if the mayor could see him.

"I need you to send some squad cars over to Robbie Rotten's. He has my niece and Sportacus went there over half an hour ago and hasn't returned." Milford commanded.

"Yes, sir! I'll call you with details as soon as they become available." Dooright told him.

"Thank you." With that the call ended and the SWAT Team was immediately assembled. Sirens blared as the big black van with bold white letter peeled out of police headquarters two minutes after Dooright got the Mayor's call. Robbie was in for a big surprise.

To Be Continued…


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Stephanie squeezed her left hand into a fist as the doctor moved her broken arm into place so he could cast it. The pain was horrible but she bit her lip and tried to tough it out.

"I'm sorry this hurts so much." Dr. Rottenstein said. "But it will be over soon." Sportacus saw the look on the sixteen year old's face and he quickly took her left hand in his. She turned and looked at him and he smiled and said,

"Go ahead, you can squeeze my hand. You won't hurt me." His kind smile and reassuring words made her smile and she squeezed as the doctor adjusted the wrist again. Silence feel over the three and in half an hour the doctor had casted all of Stephanie's forearm and was making his way up to halfway in between her shoulder and her elbow. Sportacus could see the concern on the doctor's face and he knew that he'd have to explain how Stephanie broke her arm.

"All right, there you go. I'm going to give you some medication to dull the pain." Dr. Rottenstein motioned for a nurse to come in.

"Nurse Shelly will help you get it. I'm going to borrow Sportacus for a few minutes." Stephanie looked scared but the above average hero gave her hand a squeeze.

"I'll be right along." He promised. She nodded and Nurse Shelly helped her get down off the table and out into the hallway.

"That was no ordinary break. Stephanie's radius and ulna were broken. I couldn't help but notice the bruising in the shape of a pipe." Dr. Rottenstein said.

"It's a long story but the short of it is, Stephanie jumped in front of me and tried to protect me." Sportacus told him. The doctor shook his head.

"Well she'll take the better part of eight weeks to heal. Bring her back in seven weeks and I'll see how it's coming along." He said.

"Will do, thank you." Sportacus stood up and shook the doctor's hand.

"Do you guys need a ride back to LazyTown?" Dr. Rottenstein wondered.

"That would be nice. Stephanie has had a very trying day and it's a long walk back to LazyTown." The above average hero said.

"Consider it done." The doctor replied. The two men left the room and the doctor arranged for a ride while Sportacus sat down next to Stephanie. Normally he couldn't sit like this his legs would fidget and he would constantly move his hands but not today.

"I have a lot of questions." Stephanie said.

"I know you do. I promise as soon as we get back to see your uncle, we'll straighten things out." He reassured her. That's when he realized he never got a hold of the Mayor.

Meanwhile, the LazyTown SWAT team stormed Robbie's lair. The villain didn't know what to do and he practically wet himself when one of the policemen stuck his assault rifle in his face.

"Robbie Rotten, where are Stephanie and Sportacus? What did you do to them?" A very tall very muscular SWAT team member asked.

"They left a little while ago." Robbie knew he had to choose his words carefully but apparently that was satisfactory either. One of the men grabbed Robbie and pulled him from his big fuzzy orange chair. He was forced to the floor and his hands were pulled behind his back.

"Robbie Rotten you are under arrest for the kidnapping of Stephanie." Then they hauled the villain off the floor and back up to the top of the tube. When they reached the cars, one of the men grabbed Robbie's shirt and then his pant leg and flung him into the back of the nearest police car. Robbie probably would have screamed for police brutality but that would have caused more problems. Right now he had to wonder what happened to the pink haired girl and Sportakook.

To Be Continued…


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Sportacus and Stephanie rode in the taxi as it headed back to LazyTown. The pain in the above average hero's back was growing by the minute but he just put it to the back of his mind. _I'll go see Doctor__ Melior after Stephanie gets situated_, he promised himself. He looked over at the sixteen year old and caught her staring at him. When she their eyes locked, Stephanie turned a bright shade of pink that almost matched the color of her hair.

"How are you feeling?" Sportacus asked.

"Better now, but my arm still hurts a little." She replied as her cheeks returned to their natural color. A comfortable silence fell between the two as the taxi driver pulled into LazyTown. The car wound its way around until they reached the Mayor's house. Sportacus quickly hopped out and went around to the other side to open the door for Stephanie. The motion made his back hurt even more but he hid his pain behind a smile. Stephanie smiled back as she disembarked from the taxi. Sportacus then went to the driver to pay him.

"No charge sir." The cabby smiled. Sportacus gave him a confused look. The man just smiled and drove off.

"Is this where I live?" Stephanie asked as Sportacus rejoined her.

"Yes it is. Your uncle will be worried sick about you." The above average hero was about to open the door when it flung open. Milford came out of the house and wrapped his arms around his niece.

"Oh Stephanie. Thank heavens." He said.

"My arm." The sixteen year old cringed. Quickly Milford let go and backed up.

"What happened?" He asked very concerned.

"I'll explain once we get inside. I apologize for not getting a hold of you, I felt it was necessary to get Stephanie help first." The above average hero apologized.

"I understand and I want to thank you for saving her. Come on in. There is much we need to discuss." Milford said as the group went inside. Sportacus and Stephanie went into the living room while the Mayor made a phone call.

"Chief Dooright, this is the Mayor."

"Yes sir. What can I do for you?" The police chief asked.

"I want Robbie Rotten charged and arraigned with one count kidnapping and one count assault. My niece has a broken arm." Milford decided that whatever the reason was for his niece's condition, Robbie should be at fault.

"Yes sir. Right away sir." Chief Dooright acknowledged. The phone call ended and the high-ranking policeman got to work.

Milford rejoined his niece and Sportacus in the living room. The Mayor took note that Stephanie seemed to be sitting very close to the above average hero.

"Sportacus was telling me that you are my uncle. He says that I live with you. I guess I'm a little confused as to why." She said. Milford had been mentally preparing for this question but he wasn't sure he could answer it. He didn't want his niece's first memory to be the worst thing that ever happened in her life. However, he never got the chance as Sportacus suddenly had a spasm and grabbed his back. The above average hero fell off the sofa and quickly Stephanie was by his side. The feelings that had surfaced when she jumped in front of Robbie, surfaced again and she wouldn't let anything happen to the man that made her stomach do flip-flops. She couldn't something pulled the two of them close and right now she wanted so desperately to understand.

Milford ran to the phone and called Dr. Melior. The doctor promised to be right over. Milford then went back into the living room. Sportacus had stopped shaking but the pain was obvious on his face. Stephanie held onto his hand with her uncasted hand.

"The doctor is on his way." Her uncle tried to reassure her. The sixteen year old never once looked at the Mayor. Her gaze remained locked on Sportacus.

To Be Continued…


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Doctor Melior arrived shortly and was immediately shown to the living room where Sportacus lay on his side.

"What happened?" He asked. The above average hero told him about what had transpired earlier that day and the Doctor's eyes went wide.

"I need to pull your shirt up, to take a look at your lower back." Melior informed Sportacus. His patient nodded and he carefully pulled the shirt up. In the front, a rock hard six pack was revealed while his back revealed deep bruising. Stephanie still held onto Sportacus' hand as the Doctor began his exam.

"What kind of pains are you having in your back?" He asked as he carefully moved his fingers around the area. Sportacus inhaled sharply and replied,

"Stabbing pains."

"Just when you walk or constantly?" Melior asked.

"Constantly." Came the reply.

"Well the good news is that if there was any spine damage, he wouldn't have been able to take Stephanie to the hospital or walk around. The bad news is the bruising is so deep that there is possible kidney damage. We need to take him to FunTown for a full exam. I guess I don't know why he didn't have himself checked out before he left." The doctor wondered. Sportacus let the statement go by and gave Stephanie's hand a squeeze. Then he let go of her hand and carefully maneuvered himself into the standing position.

"Let's get you to my car and I'll drive you over there." Melior sighed and stood up.

"Thank you doctor." The Mayor said and shook the man's hand.

"Anytime, Milford. See you later." With that Sportacus and the doctor left the house and were on their way.

"Well it certainly has been a long day. Why don't I show you your room and you can get ready for bed?" Her uncle said. The sixteen year old's response was to nod her head. She was still a little wary of her surroundings but she hoped that somehow everything would click into place. The Mayor showed Stephanie her room and where her pajamas were kept, and then he pointed out the bathroom and told her if she needed anything to let him know, as he'd only be down the hall. She thanked him and set about trying to get herself into bed.

The sixteen year old had a little difficulty taking off her dress as lifting things above her head was a little tough still but eventually she managed. Something in the back of her head told her she probably should have asked for help but since she still wasn't convinced about the man who claimed to be her uncle, doing it herself seemed to be the best option. Eventually she managed to get into her nightgown and then brush her teeth in the bathroom. Climbing into bed she turned out the light on her nightstand and stuck her hand under the pillow.

Her fingers bumped into something, which she immediately pulled from underneath the cushion. She fumbled about in the bed for a few moments before being able to turn the light back on. The sixteen year old stared at the pink book with a fuzzy cover on it. She opened the book and read the first page. Apparently it was her diary and she eagerly began to read it. Who better than herself to remind her how things were?

Doctor Rottenstein looked at Sportacus' bruising and decided the best bet was to perform an emergency CAT Scan. The scan would allow them to see just how deep the bruising was or if there was the possibility of internal bleeding. Sportacus lie perfectly still as the machine whirred around him. His thoughts wandered back to what happened earlier that day. Why had Stephanie jumped in front of him? She couldn't remember who he was and yet she decided to defend him. He felt as if they had always had a deep connection since the death of her parents and it was possible that that connection didn't need for her to remember. Tomorrow he would talk to her and she how he could help.

To Be Continued…

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_To my readers that celebate, Happy Easter:)_


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12 **

Sportacus walked up to the Mayor's house and saw Trixie's bike outside. She must have been over to help her friend as well. The above average hero knocked on the door and Milford answered it.

"Good morning Sportacus. How are you feeling?" The Mayor asked.

"Better the doctor's say that other than the deep bruising, I'm going to be fine in a few days thanks to my speedy recovery skills." He smiled as he walked into the house. The above average hero could hear Stephanie and Trixie talking in the living room.

"I'm glad you came by. There is some business I need to attend to down at Town hall and I hate to leave Stephanie until she really gets her bearings." Milford explained.

"Yes, of course, I'll be happy to help. Take your time with what you have to do." Sportacus smiled

"Thanks. I'll call later if it looks like I won't be home in time for dinner." The Mayor said as grabbed his briefcase and headed out the door. Stephanie and Trixie came walking into the kitchen and were surprised to see Sportacus.

"Where's Uncle Milford?" His niece asked.

"He had to go to Town Hall for awhile, he's had me stay and help you until he gets back." Sportacus explained. At this Stephanie smiled and an awkward silence fell between the group. Trixie finally spoke up about a minute later.

"Well I'm going to be late for soccer practice, if I don't go soon. I'll call you and maybe I'll bring the guys over later."

"That would be great. Thanks Trixie." The two friends hugged and then Trixie was off. Stephanie watched her friend pedal away and then she turned to Sportacus. They were alone now and maybe she could talk to him without any interruptions.

"So I guess you're feeling better." She smiled.

"Yes, the doctors say I have to lay off the flipping and jumping for a few days but I'll be fine. How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Pretty good I guess. I still have some pain but the medication is helping." Stephanie replied and another silence fell over them.

"Why…"

"I…"

"You go first." Sportacus smiled.

"Why don't we go sit in the living room?" She asked. The above average hero nodded and the two went to sit down. He wiggled his leg as they sat and Stephanie smiled.

"Now what were you going to say?" She asked.

"Just that I'm happy to see you're doing better. How is your memory?" He wondered.

"I found my diary last night and I read through it. I remember quite a bit. It feels good to know who I am and who my friends are. But I also feel sad. My parents…" she couldn't get the words out. Reading her past emotions from the pages of her diary had brought back all the bad memories. Sportacus could see the hurt on her face and did the only thing he could think of. He reached out and pulled her against him. He stroked her hair and told her that it was going to be all right. She mumbled something into his chest and he pulled her back to look at her.

"I read about your parents too." She said. Sportacus forced back his own tears. He had always been taught to keep his emotions in check and now was no time to be falling apart on Stephanie. Gently, he brushed the tears from her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry about that. I wish I had been able to tell you before you read about it." The above average hero gave her a half smile. Stephanie looked at his kind face and knew that she couldn't resist. Using her one good hand she put it on the side of his face and brought her lips to his.

To Be Continued…


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Mayor Meanswell sat at his desk awaiting the arrival of Police Chief Dooright. There were many things to discuss and he hoped that they could both come to an agreement. The two men had been friends since high school and he knew he could count on Bradley. Just then the intercom button beeped and he pressed down his receiver.

"Yes, Miss Busybody?" He asked.

"Chief Dooright is here. Shall I send him in?" His loyal assistant wondered.

"Yes, thank you very much." The Mayor said. He sat up straight and adjusted his tie. Things had to look good for this.

"Mayor Meanswell." Dooright came in, closed the door part of the way, and gave a tight smile. The two men shook hands.

"I hear that there was a mix up in the paperwork regarding case number three-one-four-nine-five. Am I to understand that the prisoner was sent to the State Correctional Facility instead of being held in our own lockup until his trial." Milford started off in a stern tone.

"Yes sir, it seems as though case three-one-four-nine-four, stayed in our lockup. I'm in the process of correcting the problem." Dooright tried to sound sincere. Bessie listened closely at the door. She did not know whom the case numbers referred to but she figured it had to be a big deal as a paperwork mistake wasn't usually such a big deal.

"I thought that I made it perfectly clear that for his own safety Robbie Rotten should remain in our lockup." Milford told the police chief.

"I'm sorry sir our clerk is new, he made a mistake." Dooright tried to explain. Bessie had heard enough to know that the rest would just be a butt reaming. Quietly and carefully, she closed the door all the way. The Mayor saw the door close and smiled.

"Bradley, that was marvelous." Milford said as he came around the desk and the two men gave a brief hug.

"You think Bessie bought it?" His friend asked.

"Oh no worries. A 'mistake' was made. No one is going to question my authority." Milford smiled.

"I talked to the guys at the State Correctional Facility. Since it's Friday and we're in no rush, Robbie won't be released until Monday. That should give him plenty to think about." Bradley couldn't help but chuckle.

"Well when he does get back on Monday, I want you to bring another assault charge against him. He hit Sportacus in the back with a pipe." Milford turned serious.

"I see no way for Robbie to avoid jail time on this one." His friend said.

"Neither do I but I'm not exactly upset about it either." Meanswell told him.

"Perhaps we should arrange for his sentence to be carried out in the FunTown Correctional Facility. It would be a little less scary than the one he's currently in." Bradley suggested.

"I think I could live with that and I'm sure that Stephanie will be happy to learn that he isn't staying too close to town." Milford nodded.

"Well Mr. Mayor it was great to see you again but now I must go and tend to the paperwork mess at the station." Dooright winked.

"Yes, you do that. Can you still act like you did in high school after all these years?" Meanswell wondered. The Police Chief just smiled and put on a face that made it seem like he'd been ripped a new one.

"Oh you're good." His friend laughed.

To Be Continued…


	14. Chapter 14

**You are about to be invaded by the fluff brigade. I thought it was only fair to warn you ;)

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**Chapter 14**

Sportacus pulled away from Stephanie. He had not expected her to do what she had done. However, he knew he would be lying to himself to say that he didn't enjoy their brief kiss but the last thing he wanted was to take advantage of the sixteen year old.

"Stephanie, you…" he couldn't finish the sentence.

"Sportacus I can't do this anymore. I'm not as strong as I pretend to be. I need you, I always have. Reading my diary brought back all the feelings I've tried to suppress. Those feelings can't stay down anymore, it's killing me." Tears came to her eyes, as she feared he would say the words she didn't want to hear. The above average hero reached out and took her cheek in his hand.

"Stephanie, you should be with someone your own age. I'm not right for you." He practically choked on the words as they came out of his mouth.

"I can't be. No one understands me like you do. No one cares about me like you do. I know when you came to save me from Robbie that you weren't there as hero. You weren't wearing your uniform. Tell me you don't have the slightest feelings for me. Look me straight in the eye and tell me why we can't be together." She forced his hand away from her face. Her tears turned from those of sadness to ones of anger and burned her cheeks.

"You're sixteen." He knew the reason was all he had from saying what he wanted to.

"It's just a number and you know better than anyone I'm much more mature than sixteen. I lost my parents when I was nine. I've had to be an adult for a long time. I know what I want and I know that I can't live like this anymore." Stephanie's chocolate brown eyes pleaded with him.

"Stephanie…" The above average hero stopped. He needed to let her know everything. She was right.

"Stephanie," he started again, conviction growing in his voice, "my whole life I've been searching for a place that would welcome me not only as a hero but also as a person. LazyTown only gave me the fulfillment of a hero but not as a person. Then you came back that summer and I saw the pain you were in and I remembered how alone and hurt I felt when my parents died. I've watched you become a beautiful, passionate, person after such a horrible accident. I never realized how much you meant to me until Robbie took you. I was willing to do anything to get you back. I would go to the ends of the Earth for you." Sportacus paused.

"Then why do you push me away?" Stephanie asked.

"I don't want to hurt you. I've closed myself off emotionally and I fear that I would hurt you. If we became a couple, every time I don my uniform I put you at risk for more heartache. I don't want to do that." He was hoping that she would understand.

"I don't care what the risks are. I want to be with you. Whatever time we have together will be ten times better than spending that time apart." She told him. Sportacus found his bottom lip between his teeth and slowly a smile spread across his face.

"All right my only one." He leaned in and she met him. They kissed once more. When they separated, they put their foreheads together and smiled.

"Your uncle should be back soon." The above average hero said.

"How are we going to tell him?" She wondered.

"I don't know. Maybe we should keep things quiet for a little while at least until this whole Robbie business is settled." He suggested.

"Sounds like a plan." Stephanie smiled. They pulled their foreheads apart and Sportacus wrapped his arm around the sixteen year old. She put her head on his shoulder while he stroked her hair. With their heavy burdens lifted the two enjoyed their time together until Milford returned home.

To Be Continued…


	15. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

"Robert Rotten, you've been charged with two counts of aggravated assault and one count of kidnapping." Judge Steiner started. "Do you understand what this means?"

"Yes, sir." The villain answered as he rose from his seat.

"A jury of your peers found you guilty on all three counts which carries a maximum of fifteen years along with a ten thousand dollar fine for the assault charges and ten years for the kidnapping charge." Steiner informed Robbie. The villain gulped and nodded.

"At this time I ask the victims to set forward and address the defendant before I deliver my decision." Stephanie slowly stood up from her seat and Sportacus followed. The sixteen year old walked through the gate that stood between the courtroom floor and the gallery section and faced Robbie. Her eyes were as cold as steel.

"Robbie, I know that you abhor Sportacus and what he stands for. Despite your best efforts in the past he has thwarted every attempt that you have set forward. This time was no different except I got in the way. I know that you didn't mean to hit me with that pipe; that was an accident. However, erasing my memory and kidnapping me in an attempt to get rid of Sportacus was not. In time my arm will heal and I will have put this behind me. It is my hope that you learn from your time in prison and that it changes you for the better." Stephanie told him. Robbie saw her brown eyes soften a little and then Sportacus stepped forward.

"I have only one thing to say to you Robbie. I am a firm believer that people can change and when you get out of jail, it is my hope that we can become friends." The above average hero smiled slightly and then led Stephanie back to her seat.

"Robert Rotten, in light of Stephanie and Sportacus' address and from the prosecutor's request, I sentence you to three years in the FunTown Correctional Facility. When you are released you will spend the next five years working at the LazyTown Mission for the homeless. Court is adjourned." Judge Steiner took his gavel and brought it down onto the top of the desk. The bailiff escorted Robbie from the room while the gallery cleared out. Sportacus took hold of Stephanie's hand and the two walked from the courtroom. Now all that was left to do was talk to the Mayor.

**The End**

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_Well there you have it. I want to thank you all for toughin' it out while the alerts were down and to all those that reviewed , thank you so much. Check back next weekend to see what new adventures lie ahead for the LazyTown gang. :)_


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